- Friday, April 19, 2024
By: Keerthi Mohan
A BRITISH lawyer who spat at an Air India cabin crew member and verbally abused them using racial slurs has pleaded guilty to being drunk on an aircraft and assault.
Simone Burns, a human rights lawyer also known as Simone O’Broin, abused Air India staff on a flight from Mumbai to London on November 11 after she was denied alcohol.
She was served three bottles of wine with breakfast “immediately” after taking off from Mumbai, the Uxbridge Magistrates’ Court heard. Burns began swearing when she was denied more.
Prosecuting lawyer Lauren Smith said: “She was shouting that she was a ‘f****** international lawyer’ and telling staff to ‘f*** off'” and called them ‘f****** Indian money-grabbing c****’.”
A video shows Burns spitting in the face of a cabin supervisor when he tried to intervene.
During the flight, the 50-year-old from Hove also smoked a cigarette in the toilets.
She was arrested after the flight touched down in London.
Magistrate Robert Della-Sala told Burns: “The disruption was clearly over a long period of time, the level of racist abuse was prolonged and unwarranted – there’s no excuse for that.
“The spitting in the face must have been one of the most awful things that can happen to anybody, given the transmission of diseases.”
Burns will be sentenced at Isleworth Crown Court on April 4.
